Vehicle-wheel.



E. E. DRACH.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY I4. Isn.

.Patented Jan. 28,

y 2 SHEETS-SHEE Smau/ofc rac/L E. E. DRACH.

VEHICLE WHEELA APPLICATION FILED JULY I4, Ian.

1,292,729. L Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' EDWARD E. DRACH, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application mea July 14, 1917. serial 110.180,608.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. DRAoI-I, of Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a -full,.clear,rand exact description of the invention, such as will .enable others skilled in thearttowhich it appertains to make and..use the same.

MyA invention relates to vehicle Wheels and more particularly to wheels of the type havingshock absorbing lmeans in the form -`of springslocated at the periphery of the wheel between spaced inner and outer rims, andthe `primaryobject of the invention is to providean improved and simple spring connection `between such rims as well as an improved construction ofY the outer rim.

wherebya maximum of resiliency may be obtained under load pressure.

A. further object of thevinvention is the construction and assembling of the parts in y forming a retaining means for the rubber or such manner as to permit of application to wheels of known construction, such as those having demountable rims without the necessity of reconstructing the wheel, in addition to specially constructed wheels. .Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation ofa wheel equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view` of a portion of a wheel with parts in section. vFig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the spring and its fastening elements detached. Fig. 5 shows a slight modification.

In its entirety my improved wheel comprises a body portion 1. of usual wheel form, an inner rim 2, which may be made to rigidly attach to the telly of the wheel, by means of bolts, rivets or by a shrinking on process an outer rim 3. to which is secured a tire 4, and a plurality of carrying springs 5 located between and attached to the inner and outer rims 2 and 3. The outer rim is shown as formed of a series of connected segments 6, while the inner rim is preferably formed of one piece or hoop of metal. The latter may, as before stated, be rigidly attached t'o the felly of the wheel, or it may be adapted to be instantly adjusted for use on any wheel built for demountable rims. The leaf springs 5 are of appropriate and uniform resisting or carryingstrength to sustain the weight ofthe load, and suspend it above and away from contact with the outer rim under gravity pressure or pressure upon the road bed in every position of the wheel in its course of rotation, and to prevent intermittent clashing of the parts or a jolting under load pressure. One end of each spring is ixedly and slidably secured tothe inner rim preferably by a nutted bolt 7 which extends through an elongated slot 7 of the spring, sidewise movement of the latter being positively prevented by a pairl ofshouldered blocks 8 formedI integral with the rim, the overl'ianging edges of the blocks fitting over the sides of the spring. To prevent the nut of the bolt 7 working loose I provide a locking plate 9 which ts over the end of the spring 5 and haspa recessed portion 10 to take in the nut, the plate being fastened to the rim as at 11. Each spring, secured to the inner rim asstated, is tangential to such rim,ithus projecting at an angle to the load pressure.

The segments 6 each have side fianges 12 other tire. The segments are hingedly connected, each end of each segment being turned inwardly as at 13 to form pivot bear two Vend plates 15 connected by a rib 16.

and forming a bearing for nutted bolts 17 on which are friction sleeves 18. The bolts and their sleeves are passed through the inturned ends 13 of the segments. thus forming a hinged connection between these members. the nuts on the ends of the bolts being prevented from turning bv a plate 19 secured to the appropriate cnd plate 15. In addition to the bolts 17 I also provide a bolt 2() likewise supported bv the end plates, which bolt and its sleeve 21 are adapted to form a pivot for the outer end ot the spring 5. The hearings at each end of the segments are slightly oval incross section to permit play between the vokes and the segments so as to prevent a binding` or crowding ot the parts under load pressure.

25 designates what I term a bumper to provide against extreme direct load thrust due to an uneven road bed or other causes. A plurality of bumpers is employed and each is of solid rubber or other resilient medium and is preferably mounted upon a metal base 26 securely bolted to the outer surface of the inner rim at a point to sup-` port that end of the spring which is joined Y Copies of this patent may be obtained for to the hinge connection between the kouter rim segments and upon which extreme load pressure is directly exerted, as indicated yin Fig. l. Where the wheel is to be used in connection with Vehicles adapted for' un usual loads the carrying' springs may be strengthened by additional leaves, such leaves being indicated at 27, andshown as secured in position by the same means by which the springs 5 are fastened tothe rim-w This is indicated in Fig. 5.,

'The advanta es of m invention are an g y i parent. By providing: an vouter rim com# posed of hinged sections and spacing -such rim.y from an inner rim by means of leaf` springs I am enabled to secure''maximumv resiliency atv the point of greatestfload stress without communicating suchI stress I to :the entire outer rim.

I claim as my invention:

l. ln combination-Withla vehiclev Vwheelpa` cushioning vmeans including* aninner i rim adapted to'bey secured v"to the periphery of the Wheel and having pairsofspace'd lapart shouldered blocks formed integrally therewith,'an outer rilm spacedl romsaidinner rim and lcomprising ay series ofA segments', springs interposed between saidaims', one@ end of each 'spring being-slidably secured to: the inner vrim-between a pair off said Sh'oulfi dered blocks, and yokes connecting said seg ments of the outer rimhavingeach'a pair of end plates,` bearings supported bysaid plates forming pivots for the ends of' l'adjair` cent segments, -andvan'additional bearing to` i which the outer end of .a spring is piyoted.

2. A `vehicle Wheel 'includingfa body por= cushioning means including anv inner 'rims' adapted-to be secured to the periphery` fof the wheel and having pairs of spaced apart shouldered blocks formed' integrally'there'- with,` an outer rini'spacedV fromy said innere rim and comprising a Vseries of segments,

springs interposed between said rims,one-

endof yeach spring being slidablysecured' 'to the inner'- rim between a pair of fsaidlshoull" dei-ed blocks, and `yokes connecting said seg-f; ments of theiouter rim having `eaLclrapairv oi endl plates, bolts connecting said'fplatesifj. sleeves "onsaid bolts, two-Tof the'latterfand* their complementaryl sleevesI forming-f :ha hingedv connection between the ends of?v adje-fvr cent-"segments, anda third'bolt and itssleeye forming a bearing- `for the otherv ends-oda i spring. .Y In testimionywher'eofl have sigedf'this specification inthe presenceofr two subscrib-v-` ing Witnesses.- f v f EDWARD EJ'DRAGH; Witnesses E.' lJ SoHNniDnn, B. C. Darten.n

five centseach, by-.addressingthe *(2'omniissianernffatexits,` Washington, D. C. 

